HELPING OUR COMMUNITY MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Make a Difference publishes the wish lists of nonprofit organizations, connecting our readers with those groups that are in need of new or gently used items. If your organization would like to be included, send details to Meredith Moss: MMoss@coxohio.com. Include a daytime phone number.
When it comes to providing bras for needy women in recent years, our readers have been making a difference by supporting the “Giving is Beautiful” bra drive sponsored by Soma Intimates.
Over the years, more than 13,000 bras have been collected at the Soma store at The Grene, making it the top bra collecting boutique in the nation.
This year’s campaign is now underway and officially runs through July 28. This is a great time to go through your dresser drawers and pull out all of those bras that don’t fit properly or that you never actually wear.
All you need to do is drop off your new or gently used bras at the Soma store at The Greene in Beavercreek. They’ll be given to women who can really use them, including victims of domestic violence. Although the program is national in scope, the bras donated in our area will stay in our own community for donations to local women’s shelters and organizations. The YWCA has been one of the recipients in the past. No purchase is necessary.
“We began this initiative in 2010 after we learned that bras are one of the most needed, yet least donated items of clothing for women in need,” says Laurie Van Brunt, Soma Intimates Brand President. ” The simple act of donating a bra can help restore a woman’s dignity and confidence as she rebuilds her life.”
Thanks to this national project, half a million bras have now been donated. In previous years, donors in the Miami Valley have contributed as many as 4,000 bras for a single drive.
To help raise awareness about domestic violence, Soma is again partnering with the National Network to End Domestic Violence, the leading voice for survivors of domestic violence. The organization represents more than 2,000 shelters across 56 states and territory coalitions throughout the U.S.
“When a victim of domestic violence has to flee her home in the middle of the night, she will likely arrive at the shelter with only the clothes on her back,” says Kim Gandy, President, NNEDV.
Participants can visit the Soma Bra Donation landing page at www.soma.com/givebras. This new experience allows visitors to read a number of touching stories about how donated bras have changed women’s lives across the country, plus offers information about the NNEDV, how to donate bras, and where to find Soma boutiques nationwide.
The local Soma is located at The Greene Town Center next to Chico’s. Bras can be brought in seven days a week. Hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays. The shop is located at 102 Plum St.
Although the official drive ends in July, you’re always welcome to bring bras you’d like to donate to Soma.
If you have questions, call (937) 431-1725.
Bras can also be mailed to Soma: 102 Plum Street, Suite D-104, Dayton, OH 45440.
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